How to Prevent Your IELTS from Expiring in Just Two Years

When checking all the necessary boxes to work as a nurse in the United States, one of the more difficult steps is passing the IELTS examination, which tests both your written and verbal English language skills. While the NCLEX licensure exam, which tests your clinical knowledge, is valid for life, your IELTS results (for U.S. visa purposes) typically expire in two years. Fortunately, there is a way to extend the life of your IELTS results by up to three additional years.

How to extend the life of your IELTS results

If your U.S. EB-3 visa priority date becomes current, but your IELTS test results have exceeded the validity period of two years, you will face additional delays in receiving your U.S. visa. And, for nurses from countries where EB-3 visas are retrogressed (such as the Philippines), your IELTS test validity will currently expire before your visa is issued. However, there is a way you can "extend" the lifespan of your passing IELTS score. The trick to keeping your results relevant beyond two years is to complete the entire VisaScreen process immediately after passing IELTS.If this sounds like a simple loophole, that's because it is. VisaScreen satisfies U.S. federal requirements for issuance of a visa and is valid for five years. In relation to your IELTS results, the VisaScreen issuance actually overrides the two-year expiration date of IELTS alone, giving you three additional years to see your EB-3 visa issued. By utilizing this loophole, you are effectively riding out retrogression.

Ready to apply for a VisaScreen?

The VisaScreen Visa Credentials Assessment Service requires a few items from healthcare professionals like yourself hoping to come to the United States. These include:

• An assessment of your education to ensure that it's comparable to that of a U.S. graduate in the same profession.
• Verification that all professional healthcare licenses that you hold are valid and without restrictions.
• An English language proficiency examination (IELTS, in this case).
• For RNs, verification that you have passed either the CGFNS Qualifying Exam or NCLEX-RN.

If you've recently taken your IELTS examination, or are planning to do so in the near future, preparing to apply for a VisaScreen is likely in your best interest. The team at PassportUSA has helped countless internationally-trained nurses just like you accomplish the necessary steps to achieve their #AmericanDream. Reach out today for help with the VisaScreen process, questions about IELTS preparation and results, or anything else related to your eventual journey to the U.S. Complete a registration form now to get in touch with one of our team members at PassportUSA.